"in the first instance" meaning in English

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "in the first instance",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "in the first instance",
      "name": "en-PP"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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        {
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          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "As the first step or stage; first."
      ],
      "id": "en-in_the_first_instance-en-prep_phrase-PpdX4bvD",
      "links": [
        [
          "step",
          "step"
        ],
        [
          "stage",
          "stage"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "en premier lieu"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "in erster Instanz"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "in prima battuta"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "v pérvuju óčeredʹ",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "в пе́рвую о́чередь"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "v péršu čérhu",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "в пе́ршу че́ргу"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "u péršu čérhu",
          "sense": "as the first step",
          "word": "у пе́ршу че́ргу"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "in the first instance"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "in the first instance",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "in the first instance",
      "name": "en-PP"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English prepositional phrases",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "As the first step or stage; first."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "step",
          "step"
        ],
        [
          "stage",
          "stage"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "en premier lieu"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "in erster Instanz"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "in prima battuta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "v pérvuju óčeredʹ",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "в пе́рвую о́чередь"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "v péršu čérhu",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "в пе́ршу че́ргу"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "u péršu čérhu",
      "sense": "as the first step",
      "word": "у пе́ршу че́ргу"
    }
  ],
  "word": "in the first instance"
}